Combination lock



April 6, 1948. e. T; MASON 2,439,140

- COMBINATION LOCK,

Filed Sept. 4, 1945 INVENTOR. zomZMqrso/w BY Arr-acme Patented Apr. 6,1948 UNITED STATE COMBINATION, Loo

George '1. Mason,

Glendale, Calif., assignor to Alfred A. NathansomNorth Hollywood, Calif.Application September 4, 1945, Serial No. 614,369

This invention relates to locks, and more particularly to combinationlocks especially designed for safes, cabinets and similar containers. IAn object of my invention is to provide a combination lock which isparticularly adapted for use in conjunction with a childs coin bank or'safe, in that it is of unusually simple and inexpensive design, butwhich is not necessarily limited to such use, since so long as itremains locked it positively prevents opening the container with whichit is associated, and yet is so designed that its combination is noteasily solved with the result that the contents of any containerequipped with one of these locks are given a measure of protection frombeing tampered with by unauthorized persons considerably in excess ofwhat would ordinarily be expected of so inexpensive a lock.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy coin bank orsafe equipped with a combination the present invention and having aparticular appeal for a child, inasmuch as it simulates the appearanceof the conventional, so-called oflice safe.

The invention possesses other objects and valuable features, some ofwhich with those enumerated will be set forth in the followingdescription of the preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated inthe drawings accompanying and forming part of the Specification. It isto be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by saiddrawings and description, but that I may adopt variations of thepreferred embodiment within the scope of my invention as defined by theclaims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a toy bank or safe having acombination lock incorporating the principles of the present inventionoperatively installed in cooperative association therewith.

Figure-2 is a view in side elevation, the direction of view beingindicated by the arrow 2 of Fi ure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the toy bank of Figures 1 and 2, thisfigure being partially broken away and shown in section to reveal thestructural detailsof the combination lock.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view in perspective showing the operativeportions of the combination lock in the respective positions assumedthereby when locked.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the parts moved to theirrespective unlocked positions.

As clearly shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the bank 6 with which the lock1 of the present invention is operatively associated, is designed tosimulate in appearance, but in miniature size,

3 Claims. (01. titl -293) H the conventional ofiice safe. It comprises ahollow cabinet,inasmuch as it is defined by a back wall 8, side wall 9,top and bottom walls II and 12, respectively, and a door I3 which mayoptionally be swung open to give access to the interior of the bank 6,or'swung closed, as illustrate d in Figures 1, 2, and 3, so that itoccupies a position substantially in planar alignment with lockincorporating the principles of itemat a minimum so as to ofier thefront edges of the side walls 9 and top and bottom walls II and I2,respectively.

Whereas any suitable means for pivotally mounting the door [3 may beemployed, the door is illustrated is mounted by a pair of axiallyaligned pintle pins l4 extending beyond the top and bottom edges of thedoor l3 and seated within sockets in the top wall H and the bottom Wall12. Thistype of hinge mounting for the door I 3 has been employedjin thebank of the present modification, inasmuch as every effort has beenexpended to keep the overall cost of this for sale a childs bank ofverylow cost.

. The combination lock 1 comprises a disc 2| revolubly mounted on theinner face of the door 13 sufiiciently closely adjacent the edge 22 ofthe door which is remote from its hinges M, for the edge of the disc 21to extend into a groove 23 in the inner face of the associated side wall9. Because this arrangement of the disc 2| enables the peripheral edgeof the disc to seat within the groove 23, that portion 24 of the sideWall 9 which defines the outer edge of the groove 23 operates as akeeper behind which the disc 2! engages to lock the door l3 againstmoving from its closed position. However, the disc 2!, which v will betermed herein a detent disc inasmuch as it operates as a detent whenpositioned behind the keeper 24 to hold the door I31 closed, is providedwith a plurality, preferablya pair, of notches 26. in its peripheraledge; and when the disc is turned to. bring either one of its notches 26into registry with the keeper 24, the door 13 is free to swing open. Thedetent disc 2| is carried by an axial shaft 21 which extends through andis free to turn with respect to the door I3. A knob 28 is rigid with theforward end of the locking shaft 21; and associated with the knob 23 andexposed to view V on the outer face of the door I3 is a dial 29 havingindicia 3i thereon, preferably in the form of calibrations 32 andnumerals 33 associated therewith to assist in. ro-

tating the knob 28 so as to bring the detent disc "2! which is rigidwith the inner end of its shaft 21 to selected position of rotationaladjustment about the axis of the shaft 21.

A plurality of tumbler discs 36 also are revolubly mounted upon theinner face of the door I 3 at angularly separated locations about theaxis of the detent dis cs shaft 21. Each ofthese tumbler discs 36 isprovided with a notch 31 in its edge; and the axes of the shafts 38 uponwhich the tumbler discs 36 are mounted, are positioned so closelyadjacent the axis or the detent discs shaft 21 that the circles withinwhich the peripheral edges of the two tumbler discs 31 lie, intersectthe circle within which the peripheral edge of the detent disc 2| lies.Accordingly, either the detent disc 2! must extend into the notch 31 ofboth tumbler discs 36, as illustrated in Fig ure 5, under whichcircumstances the detent'disc 4 invention on safes, cabinets and othercontainers for relatively valuable articles. 7

I claim:

1. A combination lock for a closure movable with respect to a keepercomprising a detent disc carried by said closure in position for theedge of said disc to engage behind said keeper, said disk having a notchtherein and being revoluble 2| is free to rotate, or the tumbler discs36 must extend into the notches 2B of the detent disc 21, as illustratedin Figure 4, under which circumstances the two tumbler discs 36 will befree to rotate, but the detent disc 2| will be securely locked againstrotation and in that position wherein its edge is engaged securelybehind the keeper '24, with the result that the door 13 is securelylocked.

On the forward end of each of the tumbler shafts 38, -a knob Al isprovided, and a dial '42 is associated with each .knob 41, the dial 82also preferably being provided with indicia '43 such as calibrations 44and numerals #5 as in the case of the detent discs dial '29 Assumingthat the door i3 is closed, when the detent disc .21 is in the Figure 4position, the edge of the detent disc iii seats behind the keeper 24 andthus securely locks the door l3 against opening. 'Moreover, since thetwo tumbler discs .38 seat within the notches 26 in the peripheral edgeof the detent disc 25, the detent disc 2| is securelyretained in itslocked position.

When it is desired to unlock the locking mechanism i and thus permitopening the door l3, the knob 4| associated with the two tumbler discs38 should be rotated until the notches 31 on the two tumbler discsfa'cetoward the detent disc 21, whereupon thedetent disc 21 then can berotated until either one or the other of its two notches 26 registerwith the keeper 2% whereupon the door 13 may be swung open. However,unless the person so operating the knobs 41 and 28 is informed of thecombination of numbers indicating the respective positions to whichdials s3 and 29 should be turned, he will 'beunab'le to manipulate theknobs 41 and 28 so as to position the discs '36 and '2! in the mannerwhich is necessary to release the locking mechanism. Moreover, since aplurality of tumbler discs '36 is employed, a person unauthorized toopen't'he combination lock will be unable to solve the combination byfeeling the knobs as they are turned. This .follows from "the fact thatboth tumbler discs 36 must beturned to their figure '5 position, so thattheir notched sides face radially .linwards towards the detent disc 21before the detent disc can be turned. Otherwise, the operator might, byurging the knob '28 to rotate while he is turning one of the knobs 41,detedt by failing when the notch $3! of the 'tumbler disc Bliassociatedwith that knob moves into registry with the detent disc 21. However, hewill be unable to detect any difference in feelingof the knob 28 whenone of the notches v3"! comes into registry with the disc 2|, because ofthe fact that the disc 2| is still held positively against rotation bythe other tumbler disc '36.

Consequently, even though the combm'at'ion lock 1 of the presentinvention is 'o'fverys'imple, and consequently, very inexpensiveconstruction, it does offer a -measure or protection which is adequateto justify the use of a lock constructed in accordance withtheprinciples the present about its own axis to move its notch optionallyinto or out of registry with said keeper, and a tumbler disk revolublymounted on said closure and having a notch therein into which the edgeof said detent disc extends when said detent discs notch is turned awayfrom said tumbler disc, said tumbler disc extending into said detentdiscs notch when saidtumbler discs notch is turned away from said detentdisc to immobilize said detent disc with the notch of said detent discout of registry with said keeper.

2. A combination lock for a closure movable with respect to a keepercomprising a detent disc carried by said closure in position for theedge of said disc to engage behind said keeper; said disc having a pairof notches therein and being revoluble about its own axis to move itsnotches optionally into or out of registry with said keeper, and apairof'tum-bler discs revolubly mounted on said closure at angularlyseparated locations about said detent disc, each of said tumbler discshaving a notch therein into which said detent disc extends whensaiddetent discis turned to withdraw its notches from said tumbler discs,and each of said tumbler discs extending into one of said detent discsnotches when that tumble-r disc is turned to withdraw its notch fromsaid detent disc whereby said detent disc is immobilized with itsnotches out of registry with said keeper.

3. A combination lock for a closure movable with respect to a keepercomprising a detent disc carried by said closure in position for theedge "of saiddisc to engage behind said keeper, said disc having aplurality of notches therein and being revoluble about its own axis tomove its notches optionally into or out of registry with said keeper,and a plurality of tumbler discs revclubly mounted on said closure atangularly separated locations about said detent disc, each of saidtumbler discs having a notch therein into which said detent' discextends when said detent disc is turned to withdraw its notches-fromsaid tumbler discs, and each of said tumbler discs -extending into oneof said detent discs notches when that tumbler disc is turned towithdraw its Number 7 Name 344,055 ()"Me'lyeney, June 22, .1886 868,640Zeller Aug. 123,.1'88'7 470,438 McGrath 'Mar..'.8, .1892 486,420 Abbott.Nov. 22, 1892 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 'Date Erance i Jen. 1c,1938

